ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · firm · craft · leaves · field · kick · ground · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — farmland
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — a position
  14. field — a subject
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — boats
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. firm — steady
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com